PARENTS and villagers applauded with relief as controversial plans for a special girls' school next to Witherslack's primary school were voted out, reports Rachel Kitchen.

Chair of governors at Dean Barwick School, Vivienne Curtis tearfully hugged fellow campaigners as Lake District planners rejected plans to convert The Old Vicarage restaurant into a residential school, by nine votes to seven.

Campaigners had feared Witherslack's 33-pupil primary school would close if the special school opened nearby, because some parents had already decided to withdraw their children, because of concerns about the type of behaviour they could be exposed to.

Around 35 villagers with banners and SOS placards lobbied Lake District National Park Authority members as they arrived at Murley Moss, Kendal, to discuss the plans.

"We are absolutely delighted," said chair of governors Mrs Curtis after the development control committee meeting, where there was standing room only.

"We fully understand what the applicant is saying about special schools, but we've got a special school already in the village.

This would be a second, and it would be on our doorstep."

She added: "We are going to go out and have a great celebration and reassure parents, put all their minds at rest.

It's completely fantastic."

Friday is Dean Barwick Day, when the school takes part in a special church service to remember the Dean

of St Paul's Cathedral, who founded the village church and school.

Mrs Curtis said today's celebrations would have extra poignancy.

Applicant Pam Redican told the Gazette she was disappointed with the refusal, and she would shortly be appealing against it.

"I spent a long time deciding Witherslack was the right place, and hoped as a school we could work alongside the local primary school," she said.

Mrs Redican said she wantd the school for up to 21 girls to be run "as normally as possible" alongside a mainstream primary.

She told the planning meeting that her pupils would include vulnerable girls, school phobics and dyslexics, aged nine to 16.

She stressed she was breaking no planning regulations.

Planning officer David McGowan said the plans had prompted 50 letters and a petition signed by 233 people.

Team leader Norman Atkins explained that public fears and anxieties were "a material consideration" for planners, and the challenge they faced was "the amount of weight to attach to those fears".

Mrs Curtis stressed that the governors were not opposed to special schools, and probably had more experience than most communities because of neighbouring Witherslack Hall School for boys.

But to have such a school so close to Dean Barwick was "unacceptable", and some parents were already "voting with their feet" by deciding to remove their children.

"It's no perception, it's a reality, and it's killing our school," she said.

Some planners supported the special school, and accused the villagers of NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard).

Coun Peter Phizacklea urged Mrs Redican to appeal if her plan was refused.

Others, such as Maureen Colquhoun, said campaigners were taking the risk of being called NIMBYs in order to protect their school and village.

She urged Mrs Redican to find another village.

After the meeting, campaigner Trevor Farrer said he was sure Mrs Redican would run a very good school, but the site was wrong.

He said recent appeal decisions by planning inspectors had "paid a lot more regard" to the views of locals.

"For that reason I think we are still on fairly good ground," he said.

Dean Barwick head teacher Tim Fletcher said the refusal gave the school more hope for the future, and he stressed that the whole village had opposed the plan.